Multi-purpose connector



Nov. 1, 1966 L, ALM ET AL 3,282,254

MULTI-PURPOSE CONNECTOR Filed June 30, 1965 fi/vszvroks. 602775 I. MH -M HqmQ/s 14 2" You/v6 y 772% United States Patent 3,282,254 MULTI-PURPOSE CONNECTOR Curtis L. Malm, Norwalk, and Harris W. Young, Sherman Oaks, Califi, assignors to Paper Mate Manufacturing Company, Santa Monica, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 30, 1965, Ser. No. 468,352 6 Claims. (Cl. 12042.1)

This invention pertains to means for connecting cartridges (each equipped with a writing tip) in axial alignment, whereby the cartridges are maintained in position without damage or injury to the writing tips of such cartridges, can be handled as a unit and cooperate with a retract-project mechanism of a pen. Furthermore, the arrangement herein disclosed permits the writing tip of the rear or spare cartridge to be kept in optimum condition for immediate use whenever required.

The concept of connecting cartridges of ballpoint pens in tandem, interconnected, aligned relation (with their writing tips facing the same direction) is clearly disclosed in Patent 2,971,494, and has been extensively used in recent years. Each cartridge comprises a tubular reservoir containing ink, the rear end being open to air, and the front end being provided with a writing tip of small diam eter having a ball rotatably held at the forward end of the tip.

It has been observed that the tip of the rear cartridge component of a tandem assembly sometimes appears to leak ink around the ball, such ink developing an accumulation or go of ink incresting the writing ball; When the positions of the cartridges are reversed (in order to place the rear or spare cartridge in writing position) this accumulated ink on the tip may impede or prevent immediate writing ability, or produce an excessively thick, uneven line or writing trace for a few minutes.

The present invention is directed to a solution of the above problem. Ink compositions used in ballpoint writing instruments vary and contain solvents which exhibit a perceptible vapor pressure, especially at higher atmospheric temperatures. It as been discovered that solvent vapors from the body of ink in the forward cartridge (either in vapor or condensed form) act upon the ball tip of the rear cartridge and tend to cause the ink to seep out of the ball seat onto the ball. The construction hereinafter disclosed eliminates the problem.

The connector of the present invention (and a tandem arrangement of cartridges utilizing such connector) performs a number of functions. In the first place, it includes means whereby a connector may be slidably inserted into the open end of a cartridge and be held in proper position. The connector also admits air into the cartridge above the body of ink therein in order to equalize air pressure between that existing around a writing tip and that existing above the body of ink in the cartridge. This air is admitted in a regulated or limited quantity in order to avoid excessive accumulation of humid air within the cartridge and in order to preclude excessive evaporation of solvent, oxidation of the ink and other undesirable effects produced by excessive unlimited access of air to such body of ink. Again, the connector is provided with means for firmly grasping the writing tip of a rear cartridge so as to hold it in position and in axial alignment with the forward cartridge, thereby permitting the assembly to be handled as a unit. Moreover, the connector is provided with means for isolating the writing tip of the upper or rearward cartridge component so as to protect the writing tip of such rear cartridge component from the deleterious effect of vapors from the body of ink in the forward or lower cartridge.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to disclose and provide a multi-purpose device for use in holding ink cartridge components in tandem aligned relation while protection a writing tip from undesirable effects of the action of solvents upon the Writing tip within the device.

Another object is to disclose and provide means and constructional details of a connector for use in providing ballpoint pen cartridges in aligned tandem relation. These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description. In order to facilitate understanding, reference will be had to the appended drawings in which:

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a pair of cartridge components, each provided with a writing tip including a rotatable ball held in aligned position by one of the forms of connector embraced by this invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a connector in place in the upper end of the cartridge, a portion of the cartridge being broken away.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the top of the connector used in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal or vertical section through the connector as shown in FIG. 2.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are a plan view and side elevation respectively of a modified form of connector embraced by this invention.

FIG. 1 illustrates a typical tandem assembly including a forward cartridge generally indicated at 1 and a rear cartridge indicated at 1', these two cartridges being interconnected by means of a connector 10, whose flange is visible in this figure. Each of the cartridges includes a writing tip having a body portion 2 inserted or suitably connected to the lower end of the tubular cartridge and a downwardly directed small diameter writing tip portion 3 terminating in a socket containing a rotatable ball 4. The cartridge contains a body of suitable ink, this body being open to the atmosphere at its upper end or surface and communicating by small channels with the socket containing the rotatable writing ball 4. A similar writ-ing tip carried by upper or rear cartridge 1 is positioned within the connector 10. The upper or normally open end of cartridge 1 is also provided with a connector indicated at 10, this connector being capable of receiving the writ ing tip of a cartridge. In the assembly illustrated in FIG. 1, the upper or rear end of the connector 10' is capable of cooperating with whatever type of retraction or projectretract mechanism is provided in the body of a pin in which the assembly is used.

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 describe the construction which may be used in a connector 10. The illustrated form shows that the connector is generally cup-shaped, having virtually cylindrical side walls 11, the bottom of the connector being closed by the bottom wall 12 and the upper end being provided with a radially extending top flange 13. As best illustrated in FIG. 2, the connector 10 is adapted to the slidably inserted into the open end of the tubular ink cartridge 1 with the flange 13 in contact with the end of the cartridge, such flange thereby limiting the extent to which the connector may be inserted into the cartridge and also permitting removal of the connector if that is desired at some later time.

In FIG. 2, the cartridge 1 is shown containing a body of ink indicated at 19, the surface of such body being below the bottom 12 of the connector. As previously indicated, it is desirable to permit air to enter the space beneath the bottom 12 for the purpose of equalizing pressures. For this purpose, a channel is formed in the outer surface of the connector. In the exemplary form illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, a helical rib or ribs 14 are formed on the exterior su'face of side walls 11, such walls defining and forming a helical groove therebetween.

It will be noted that the ribs have a pronounced crest and a major diameter whereby the connector will slidably fit into the upper end of a tubular cartridge and be frictionally held therein. Means are provided communieating the lower end of the groove between the ribs 14 with air beneath the bottom 12, the groove being open to the space beneath the bottom or at least to the space between the last rib and the wall of the cartridge. Similarly, the upper end of the groove is in communication with air ambient the flange 13, and it will be noted that the groove extends into the flange and provides an elongated opening generally indicated at 15 whereby air may enter such opening and pass through this circuitous groove into the space beneath the bottom 12 of the connector. The interior surface 16 of the connector is adapted to frictionally grasp and hold the writing tip (such as the tip 3) of another cartridge. Preferably the interior surface 16 is not smoothly cylindrical and capable of circumferentially grasping the entire outer surface of a writing tip; instead it has been found desirable to provide the internal surface 16 with three or four virtually planar surfaces, such as 17, 17' and the like, which frictionally contact and hold the writing tip of an aligned cartridge and simultaneously provides intervening air channels 18, 18 and the like. By providing a suitably formed entry recess (at the upper end of the connector) any writing tip held within the connector 10 is permitted to breathe slightly while being protected from the solvent vapors of the body of ink 19 in the lower cartridge from deleteriously affecting the writing ball of the tip of the upper cartridge. It may be noted that the entire length of the conductor, and particularly its interior depth or length, is such that the writing ball of the writing tip of the cartridge being held in aligned position by the connector 111 does not touch the bottom surface internally of the connector.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate a somewhat different form of connector. This is also a cup-shaped connector having side walls 21, a bottom 22 and an upper radially extending flange 23. The external surface of the connector permits it to be slidably inserted into the open end of an ink cartridge. A plurality of longitudinally extending channels 24, 24, etc., are formed in the external surface of the side wall and extend into the flange as indicated in FIGS. 5 and 6, thereby permitting atmospheric air to enter the cartridge in which the connector is used. The internal surface of the connector is provided with opposing flats such as 27 and 27', capable of frictionally grasping and holding a writing tip of a cartridge inserted into the connector. Again, corner spaces between such flats, such as the space 28, permits some breathing or air to pass into the lower portion of the connector. In the form illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, these corner channels are in communication with shallow radial grooves 29 formed in the end face of the flange. Such grooves 29 not only insure the admission of air to the interior of the connector, but also (when the connector is used at the upper end of a tandem assembly or even of a single long cartridge) provide an end surface to such connector which is capable of cooperating with retraction mechanisms which partly rotate a cartridge every time the mechanism is actuated. The roughened end surface more effectively transmits the partial rotation of the mechanism to the ink cartridge. One form of such mechanism for projecting and retracting a writing unit is illustrated in US. Patent 3,120,837.

The tubular cartridges may be made of metal or suitable plastic; the connectors are preferably composed of plastic or a copolymer. All modifications coming within the scope of the appended claims are embraced thereby.

We claim:

1. A multi-purpose device for positioning and holding an ink cartridge having a writing tip in axial alignment With another cartridge, comprising:

a cup-shaped connector having virtually cylindrical side 4 walls, a bottom and a radially extending top flange, said connector being adapted to be slidably inserted into an open end of an ink cartridge with said flange in contact with the end of the cartridge;

a channel formed in the outer surface of said connector and extending into said flange to permit air ambient the upper end of a cartridge to flow into space below the bottom of the connector;

said cup-shaped connector having an interior surface adapted to frictionally grasp and hold the writing tip of another cartridge, the bottom of said connector isolating a writing tip inserted into the connector from vapors below said bottom.

2. A multi-purpose connector as stated in claim 1 wherein the interior surface of said connector includes longitudinally extending channels for admitting air to the lower interior portion of said conductor.

3. A multi-purpose device for positioning and holding an ink cartridge having a writing tip in axial alignment with another cartridge, comprising:

a cup-shaped connector having virtually cylindrical side walls, a bottom and a radially extending top flange, helical ribs formed on the exterior surface of said side walls and forming a helical groove thereon, means communicating the lower end of the groove with air ambient the bottom of the conductor and means communicating the upper end of said groove with air ambient the flange;

said ribs having a crest and a major diameter whereby said connector will slidably fit into the upper end of a tubular cartridge to be frictionally held therein, said flange being adapted to position the connector at such upper end of the cartridge;

said cup-shaped connector having an interior surface adapted to frictionally grasp and hold the writing tip of another cartridge.

4. A multi-purpose connector as stated in claim 3 wherein the interior surface of said connector includes longitudinally extending channels for admitting air to the lower interior portion of said connector.

5. A multi-purpose device for positioning and holding an ink cartridge having a writing tip in axial alignment with another cartridge, comprising:

a cup-shaped connector having virtually cylindrical side walls, a bottom and a radially extending top flange, said connector being adapted to be slidably inserted into an open end of an ink cartridge with said flange in contact with the end of the cartridge;

a channel formed in the outer surface of said connector and extending into said flange to permit air ambient the upper end of a cartridge to flow into space below the bottom of the connector;

at least a portion of the internal surface of said cupshaped connector presenting a polygonal cross section including spaced, angularly related surfaces adapted to frictionally grasp and hold the writing tip of another cartridge, the bottom of said connector isolating a writing tip inserted into and held by the connector from vapors below said bottom.

6. A multi-purpose connector as stated in claim 5 wherein the interior surface of said connector includes longitudinally extending channels for admitting air to the lower interior portion of said connector.

References (Iited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,971,494 2/1961 Seyer 42.1 3,019,768 2/1962 Seyer et al. 12042.1 3,124,107 4/1964 Fehling et al. 120-42.4

FOREIGN PATENTS 218,941 4/1957 Australia.

LAWRENCE CHARLES, Primary Examiner. 

1. A MULTI-PURPOSE DEVICE FOR POSITIONING AND HOLDING AN INK CARTRIDGE HAVING A WRITING TIP IN AXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH ANOTHER CARTRIDGE, COMPRISING: A CUP-SHPAED CONNECTOR HAVING VIRTUALLY CYLINDRICAL SIDE WALLS, A BOTTOM AND A RADIALLY EXTENDING TOP FLANGE, SAID CONNECTOR BEING ADAPTED TO BE SLIDABLY INSERTED INTO AN OPEN END OF AN INK CARTRIDGE WITH SAID FLANGE IN CONTACT WITH THE END OF THE CARTRIDGE; A CHANNEL FORMED IN THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID CONNECTOR AND EXTENDING INTO SAID FLANGE TO PERMIT AIR AMBIENT THE UPPER END OF A CARTRIDGE OF FLOW INTO SPACE BELOW THE BOTTOM OF THE CONNECTOR; SAID CUP-SHAPED CONNECTOR HAVING AN INTERIOR SURFACE ADAPTED TO FRICTIONALLY GRASP AND HOLD THE WRITING TIP OF ANOTHER CARTRIDGE, THE BOTTOM OF SAID CONNECTOR ISOLATING A WRITING TIP INSERTED INTO THE CONNECTOR FROM VAPORS BELOW SAID BOTTOM. 